Lockheed Martin delivered a C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft to the US Navy at its Marietta, Georgia, facility on October 15, as part of the navy’s effort to develop a new aircraft for its Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission.
The C-130J-30 Super Hercules will be modified into the E-130J Phoenix II, the Navy's next‑generation TACAMO mission platform, fulfilling an added mission for the Super Hercules.
TACAMO is the US Navy's airborne nuclear command‑and‑control support mission.
The C-130J-30 is a US-produced, four-engine aircraft equipped with advanced avionics. Its capabilities include extended range, increased power, fuel efficiency and payload capacity to support the navy’s TACAMO mission.
As part of the Super Hercules' transformation, the aircraft will be transferred to Northrop Grumman, the mission systems integrator, where the E-130J TACAMO industry team will complete the conversion that will see the airframe enter service as the E‑130J Phoenix II.
"This delivery marks a historic milestone for the U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin, and the nation's strategic communications network," said Trish Pagan, vice president of Lockheed Martin's Air Mobility & Maritime Missions.
"The C-130J-30 Super Hercules continues to evolve and adapt to the needs of our customers, carrying the proven reliability of its lineage while transforming into a new, strategic mission set. It is built to deliver the capabilities our joint force demands and built to last through any operational challenge."
"The C-130J platform has a storied history supporting our strategic communications mission, and accepting this first C-130J-30 marks an exciting new chapter," said US Navy Capt. Roger Davis, Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications program manager (PMA-271).
"Lockheed Martin's delivery of this battle-proven airframe provides the structural and performance backbone our mission requires as we transition into mission systems integration to field the E-130J Phoenix II."
The delivery re-establishes the link between the TACAMO mission and the Hercules family. For three decades, the EC-130Q variant served as the Navy's TACAMO platform, flying the mission from 1963 until 1993. The new Super Hercules builds on that legacy while adding advanced avionics, communications and survivability enhancements.